I'm in desperate need of fundraising ideas - DESPERATE!!

Here's the gist of it:

In July 2009, I'll be embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - really. I'm not just throwing around cliches here. For ~19 days, I'll be traveling to Thailand with the Zoo. Our itinerary includes bathing and helping to rehabilitate Asian elephants, visiting and working with a Hornbill rescue (with which our Zoo is affiliated), living a day with rural natives, etc. etc. In other words, we'll be furthering our zoo's message of education and stewardship of the natural world in Thailand, while simultaneously opening our personal horizons and gaining a fuller perspective of the global community.

The big issue, of course, is the money. The trip will cost $3600, and we are required to fundraise at least 1/3 of the cost, or $1200. In all honesty, I would prefer to raise as much as possible. For that reason, I am in DESPERATE need of fundraising ideas.

At this rate, one of my major fundraising sources will be letter writing and sponsorships. I'm sending out letters to ~20 local companies and families and friends. In return for their sponsorship, our group is planning to throw them all a party with souvenirs in appreciation for their generosity. But in this economy, I don't think people will be inclined to donate, and I am so desperate for alternate fundraising ideas. If you have ANY ideas at all (especially tried-and-true), PLEASE post them!!

That sounds amazing! I was trying to raise money for a trip about three years ago and I sold lollipops that I bought in bulk from a website. I can't remember the name or brand of them now but a lot of people use them to raise money for programs or trips.

Volunteer to do talks on the subject of conservation and have a collection, or collect admission towards the trip.

Do you bake? Ask permission, and set up a table and sell elephant-shaped cookies, for example - I can give you the recipe I use to make dog-shaped cookies that I bring to Findlay if you'd like ... You can get an elephant-shaped cookie cutter for under a dollar ... and people like elephants!

Car washes are often good fundraisers if you've got the human power - poster with an elephant spraying a car ...

And do you have a Thai restaurant in your community that might help throw a fundraising dinner? Restaurant will sometimes do "a portion of tonight's sales will go to x charity" events ... or they might have ideas as well.

Mow lawns. Clean houses. Run errands (a friend of mine makes a decent living standing in line for people at the DMV, or utility company. Clients that trust her hire her by the hours to sit at their house to wait for the appliance/cable repairmen.

If you have some nice clothes that you don't want anymore, see if a consignment shop will buy them from you.

I'll keep thinkin on it........

Ask your vet about microchipping. ~ It could have saved Kuhio's life. And it cost Halo hers.Ask your vet about Polycystic kidney disease ~~ Rest in peace WillyLoved by Lisa

Good luck in your fundraising efforts....sounds like a trip of a lifetime!!! I clicked on the site suggested....and just a bit of a warning....DON'T LEAVE OUT THE D!!! in the word fundable when you type it in..I did and it is not a site I would want people to know I clicked on!!! Keep us posted on your progress!!!

Help people train their dogs. Hey, that is a thought. You are very good at it.
But other than that, I was thinking bake sale or car wash also. Sorry, no good ideas in my head.

I wish!! LOL I'm actually trying to fit that in somewhere. I'm thinking about a little event we can do in conjunction with a shelter/rescue. It seemed to have worked well with another group of students, and it sounds very fun with minimal organization and minimal monetary investment. It's pretty darn unique, too. I'll let you all know how it works out.

Thanks for the tips folks. We are, however, trying to maximize profits as much as possible. Things like bake sales and candy sales were brought up at the meeting, but we realize (from experience) that the payoff is pretty low when you consider the amount of money and labor you have to put in AND when you consider that the profit will have to be split up between all 10 of us.

I do like the conservation talks and having a collection jar. I bet we could expand on that, too...Maybe throw in a raffle there...We have been tossing the idea of giving folks a 20% discount coupon off their meal at a certain restaurant. The restaurant would then give us a portion of their profits. It seems like a pretty viable option and one that has proven successful in the past.

Do you remember how much the soap and supplies cost? Also, who supplied the water?

Profits are what matter most with these labor-intensive fundraisers. I'm more than happy to stick out 8-10 hours of labor for each event, but it needs to have a decent payoff (i.e. at least $100 per kid or at least $1000/day). Yeah. It's a toughie!

Do you remember how much the soap and supplies cost? Also, who supplied the water?

Profits are what matter most with these labor-intensive fundraisers. I'm more than happy to stick out 8-10 hours of labor for each event, but it needs to have a decent payoff (i.e. at least $100 per kid or at least $1000/day). Yeah. It's a toughie!

We just ran a hose out from our church building, or school - but water isn't the cost issue here that it is in California, so they never told us how much it cost. as for supplies, everyone who had one brought a bucket from home, so just the cost of soap, a bottle of windex or two (we brought from home, but ...) and some sponges and rags. And the sponges and buckets can be used over and over ...

Aotearoa- New Zealand -Kia Ora, Tena Koutou,Haere Mai From the Land of the long white cloud.

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Did anyone mention a car boot sale or garage sale, get together everyone's stuff they don't want, remember what is someone else's trash is someone else's treasure, good luck, what an exciting time ahead for you.

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I'm with Carole about a yard sale, though it takes a lot of time to collect, sort and tag the items and run the sale, and afterward to dispense with the items that don't sell. We did one for my musicians' group a couple of years ago.

My mom went to the Czech Republic with a team from church and was very surprised by the amounts that people gave in response to fund-raising letters. I would be happy to donate when you are ready to receive contributions.

I've been Boo'd... right off the stage!

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"That's the power of kittens (and puppies too, of course): They can reduce us to quivering masses of Jell-O in about two seconds flat and make us like it. Good thing they don't have opposable thumbs or they'd surely have taken over the world by now." -- Paul Lukas

Re: Yard Sale - someone once advised my mom to not spend time tagging the items. Her reasoning was, 'You know what you will take for it and you'll know when the offer isn't good anyway - so don't waste the time.'

Might be an idea if the various sellers get to donate a percentage and keep some, or donate all of it.